College Football

5 ways the Raiders' move to Las Vegas will impact college football

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:15 a.m. ET

Fansided, Zach Bigalke/FanSided via Saturday Blitz

The NFL owners recently voted 31-1 to allow the Raiders to relocate to Las Vegas. But how will this move affect college football?

After failing to even entertain the last-minute offers put out by the city of Oakland, the NFL owners voted on Monday to allow the Raiders to move to Las Vegas. The move was not wholly unexpected, as the Raiders had been publicly working both sides. Thus a team that was founded in the East Bay will now take its renegade legacy to Sin City.

But while this presents a drastic change in NFL dynamics, it will also be felt throughout the college game. As the $2 billion stadium rises from the desert south of the Las Vegas Strip, the effects of this move will be far-reaching. Click ahead to see five major impacts that the Raiders' move to Las Vegas is bound to have on the college game.

Dec 17, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; A general view of Sam Boyd Stadium during the 25th Las Vegas Bowl between the San Diego State Aztecs and the Houston Cougars. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

5. Replacing a fading facility

The money has never been there to substantially upgrade Sam Boyd Stadium, which opened in 1971 and has been expanded several times over the years. But with an NFL team coming into town, suddenly the funds are available for a brand-new stadium to be built in time for the 2020 season. Before we go into the metrics of how this impacts the local college team, though, let's bid farewell to a venue that has aged as gracefully as possible.

In an era of perpetual new construction, the four-decade lifespan of Sam Boyd Stadium is impressive enough. In a city like Vegas, where everything is in a state of constant reinvention, it is downright blasphemous. The football stadium was still new when Ron Meyer got his head coaching start with the Rebels in 1973, to put it in perspective. Even if it does get one last life as a temporary home for the Raiders, the old Silver Bowl will be able to retire before it hits a half-century of use.

A new facility provides innumerable benefits both at a local and a national level, as we will see moving forward.

Nov 26, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UNLV Rebels wide receiver Mekhi Stevenson (2) runs with the ball against the Nevada Wolf Pack as running back Charles Williams (8) prepares to block during the second quarter at Sam Boyd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports

4. The benefits of an NFL team for the college squad in town

The new stadium at the south end of the Strip will serve not only as the home for the Raiders but also for UNLV. The Rebels will benefit from an instant upgrade in facilities, as it will allow recruiters to sell high school students on the chance to play in an NFL stadium. Speaking of Meyer, this was the exact tactic he was able to use to his advantage when he moved from UNLV to SMU and decided to start playing Mustangs home games at Texas Stadium.

The venue would immediately become the second-largest stadium in the Mountain West, behind only Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. And given that the NFL's Chargers just ditched Qualcomm, UNLV would have the immediate advantage over the Aztecs in that regard. With the NFL confirming this move, Rebels head coach Tony Sanchez can begin recruiting immediately on the promise that students coming in now would get to play at least one year in an NFL facility.

When trying to land the second tier of recruits coveted by the top mid-major teams, that could be a difference maker.

Jan 9, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; General view of the college football playoff trophy during media day at Phoenix Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

3. The draw of a new stadium to the College Football Playoff

It just so happens that the College Football Playoff has set its championship schedule for the next three years. That is the same amount of time that it will take to construct the new stadium in Vegas.

While there are currently NCAA bylaws against hosting NCAA events in Sin City, it can never be stated often enough that the College Football Playoff is an entity separate from the NCAA. As such, there is nothing preventing them from awarding a bid to the metropolis.

Keep in mind that the College Football Playoff is all about making money. It is also all about showcasing its spectacle in the most opulent settings possible. And the new stadium proposed for the city certainly fits the bill.

Fully domed with windows on two ends of the facility, the renderings position this new stadium in line with other recent projects around the country. The combination of top-shelf facilities and the lure of a moneymaking oasis like Vegas will be an irresistible lure for the CFP decision makers.

But this goes beyond merely the top of the bowl system. The impacts will also echo through the rest of the postseason.

Dec 17, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; A general view of the 25th Las Vegas Bowl logo at midfield at Sam Boyd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

2. Providing a boost to the Las Vegas Bowl

Last year, the Las Vegas Bowl celebrated its 25th year of operation. It is currently the 16th oldest bowl on the postseason calendar. Yet, despite being a desirable destination to draw fans, the bowl game has never gained the prominence of other contests. That is in large part due to the facility where the game has been played from the outset. Sam Boyd Stadium's ceiling, apparently, is as a second- or third-tier site. A new stadium completely changes that metric.

In addition to the Raiders and Rebels, it is likely that the Las Vegas Bowl would also relocate to the new stadium under proposal. The shift would immediately provide an upgrade in amenities and 25,000 more tickets to sell. This alone could push the game higher up the hierarchy. Already featuring a tie-in with the Pac-12, this game could soon feature higher-ranked teams from power conferences. While this would box out the opportunity for mid-majors to play in Vegas, it would also raise the game's profile.

The impact on one of the game's regular participants, though, could be even greater than this postseason shift.

Dec 21, 2016; San Diego, CA, USA; Brigham Young Cougars running back Jamaal Williams (21) and teammates hold the championship trophy during the 2016 Poinsettia Bowl against the Wyoming Cowboys at Qualcomm Stadium. BYU defeated Wyoming 24-21. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

5. The effect on a denominational Independent

As a former Mormon outpost, Las Vegas has always had an interesting allure for fans of the BYU Cougars. From Provo, Vegas is just five hours away down the I-15. As a result, the Las Vegas Bowl has featured BYU more times than any other team in its history.

Even if the bowl game shifts its allegiances and freezes out the Cougars, the new venue down the road could finally allow the team to gain the stature it hoped when it left the Mountain West for independence in 2011.

Major-conference teams have been loathe to play BYU in Provo. But they could more readily be drawn to neutral-site games in Vegas. Even if this results in home-and-neutral series against schools, the increased exposure can only benefit the Cougars in recruiting and in future scheduling.

The boost to schedule strength would position BYU more firmly in relation to other independents like Notre Dame. And were the Cougars to run their schedule, it would force the College Football Playoff's hand in judging conference affiliation in its metrics.